Saddle Bags

Hi. Here are some pics of my new bike with the saddle bags mounted. I picked them up today from the dealer. The dealer was nice enough to agree to give me 10% off since I just ordered the bike through them. There are pics of the bike sans bags in my initial introduction post. The bags take a matter of seconds to mount once the lock cylinders are keyed and installed, but Honda does make you suffer a bit before this. You have to order blank lock cylinders and a set of key tumblers along with the bags, and then follow 10 pages of instructions to match the locks to your ignition key. The first one took over an hour to do, but the second one was done in a matter of minutes. There are tiny springs and tumblers to fiddle with, but still doable. The bags will be great for long weekend trips. They have top handles that make them like small luggage. The plan is to ride with them to our destination city, and pop them off to leave in the hotel room while riding the twisties in towns like Austin, TX.

The last pic shows the one small rubber cushion that needs to be installed on the bike. Other than that, the bike itself requires no additional hardware.

If you are wondering, the reason the right mirror is pulled in is so that I can sneak the bike in the garage behind the jeep.

 

Thanks for the pictures. :thumbsup: The 2014 pannier set looks very impressive.

I hope you don't mind if I ask how much the whole panniers and mounting kit package cost - after the dealer discount?

I am seriously considering moving on to a 2014, and managed to try one out at the Festival of Speed event in Britain last month. Unfortunately they did not have any of the fitted luggage available on the Honda display stand, and at that stage the staff had no idea how much the luggage would cost or even a brochure with the specifications. So your post and pictures are very helpful.

It would be really helpful if you could measure and post up the outside edge to edge distance of the panniers when fitted on the bike? It just may be an optical illusion thing, but those new panniers look slightly wider than the panniers fitted on the previous 800 model which to be frank were already wide enough! Did you get any information stating the official storage capacity of the panniers - xx litres ?

As I do a lot of long distance touring on my VFR - 3,800 miles last month - I am interested in how they compare with the old style panniers which were 35 litres each and the carrier also had space for a 45 litre top box. As I can't see any top-box mount on your bike I assume that is another (costly) optional extra - yet more often than not I used the top box most - only bothering to fit the side panniers on long trips when I really needed lots of luggage capacity. OK heavy stuff in a top box has a bigger impact on handling, but unlike panniers you can still filter through traffic fairly easily, so I guess a top box and mount kit is going onto the new bike spec list.

Visually the new style pannier mounting system looks much better than the previous design. However I am not convinced that using the main bike key to lock the panniers is a good idea. More than once - after rushing to empty the panniers in pouring rain, I have unintentionally left a pannier key in the lock overnight. Ok no great harm if someone wants to get into the empty box - but a real disaster if that key is also the ignition key and the bike has been driven off.

Over in Europe it looks like we are going to get a slightly different spec bike as all 2014 models sold here have ABS and traction control.



SkiMad

 

Very nice! Like Skidmad4x4 i was wondering about the bags capacity. Will they swallow a full face helmet? Looking forward to your thoughts on the new VFR.

 

That right there would be reason enough for me to upgrade from my 2006 to a new 2014. The fact that you can remove the bags easily for a completely stock look is awesome. I can't stand the gawd-awful bracket contraption left behind on the 6th gen configuration.

 

Nice set up :thumb:
Skimad pull the trigger mate :wink:

 

The total width is about 11.5" (29.2 CM). The volume is 29 litres. They will tightly fit a full face helmet. The total cost of the bags and needed key cylinder set was U.S. $910 out the door, including 8.25% sales tax. Regarding the key being the same as the ignition key, you must remember that the new design allows you to remove and install the bags in about 2 seconds with no ugly hardware left behind. They are designed to be removed from the bike and carried inside just like any suitcase. This should prevent you from leaving the key outside. Yes, the top box is separate. It is 33 litres. I hope this helps.

 

Lets see, the bike came from the dealer and the bags were ordered from the dealer and the dealer didn't do the install? Somebody got screwed.

Do tell, how much did you spend there for the bike, the bags, various articles of clothing and Hondafarkles? After they got in your shorts, I'd change the shorts and then the dealership too.

 

The bike was $12,995 after $500 discount. They offered to install, but I opted to do it myself.

Are you always this fun to talk to??

 

I'm curious to know how wider this bike is with the bags compared to the 6th generation. Seems wider to me.
I too went to the dealer, but they didn't have the DLX model, and only in red.

 

Since you are new BB is our :joker: here
He does know his sh.......t
If it bother you like many other here just put him in time out aka
Ignore list :thumb:
Carry on with your report, we are waiting for the review op2:

 

Hmm - I see the Official Forum Troll is in fine form...

Meantime compared with the official European price it looks like you got a very good deal. Over here the basic bike (albeit with ABS and traction control as standard is listed at £10,499 - which at current rates = just under 18,000 US$. The UK Honda website does not even have an accessory catalogue for the new VFR but even if they offered a hefty discount, if the previous model prices are a guide, then the pannier set and top box could add another £1000 to the price.

I can understand why you decided not to wait for the dealer to "fit the new panniers" - Its very obvious that the mounting points are already on the bike so I thought the panniers would clip straight on. The previous model VFR luggage came with a separate Givi style lock and key which meant they were pretty much ready to use and if you later found you never really use them, they could be easily sold on. However once the luggage is being customised to use your ignition key - selling them on may not be a great idea.

Sadly unless I win the lottery it looks like I will have to wait until the initial "new bike" premium passes and European dealers have enough stock on inventory that they really start to compete for customers. At the moment you can still pick up fully loaded versions of the old model "pre-registered" (so with just 1 mile on the clocks) for well under £9,000! The delay has the added advantage that any teething issues will hopefully have been picked up and rectified before I reach for the chequebook.


SkiMad doh:its snowing again in July!:smow

 

I am always fun to talk to unless my BS meter goes off.

So did this whopping discount include Atgatt and farkles?

OK the bike was 13K ( $12,995 and the price of a Happy Meal) What was it you stated the sales tax was? 8.5% ? and how much were the bags?

Sorry dude, I sold bikes

in Houston when Jerry Stubbs was humping Suzukis and I was going to Rice.

Sorry you got took but I am sure after you get over that snit you will be checking out prices and service at the other Honda shops.

 

Better to be official than unofficial IMO.. Maybe stop playing the various lotteries and use the pesos for some new toys. The odds are much better.

Be sure and see Bruce Dern in "Nebraska"

 

Muchas gracias amigo. I checked out this dudes dealer first. The reviews were not so good. Yep some ringers of course but that is the nature of the net.

No lane splitting with those bags EH?

 

New model with fairly limited availability in Houston. Only 2 Houston area Honda dealers had them, and the ones in stock are white standard models. Yes, you can find better deals if you look across the US, but getting it home will offset the savings at this time. Six months from now it will be a different story, but I did not care to wait. My 916 pissed me off for the last time, so I fixed it, and am selling it off. Needed a reliable replacement that doesn't cost more than a dollar a mile to maintain....

 

You did the righ thing....!
:thumbsup:
The new VFR is sooooooooo prutty :love:

 

You are welcome
I don't see why not :noidea:
I just use the bags as my bumper ound:
I love the hard case cannot live without them.

 

The lock cylinder kit to re-key them with is only $40, so no big deal to sell. Thanks.

 

Where did you get the instructions from? The parts I ordered came without them/

 

The dealer has to print them out for you. At least that is how I got them. Thanks.